It’s not like the non-stop Hallmark movies weren’t cutting it, but it took a local event last week to really get me into the holiday spirit this year.
A few months back when I interviewed Gerry Wood, founder of the Wood Automotive Group, he stressed to me that the Christmas concerts held to benefit the Okotoks Food Bank were as good as any he had attended, including shows in the big city. Even though we were supposed to be talking about a milestone anniversary for his string of car dealerships, he went out of his way to heap praise on the local concerts, the calibre of the performers and the cause they supported.
Taking Gerry’s advice, my wife and I attended one of this year’s concerts last Tuesday evening and I have to say that he was definitely on the mark with his assessment of the entertainment value. Dubbed Soul Food 2023 because it offered music for the soul and food for the body, the concert was just the ticket to put people in the holiday mood.
Okotoks Evangelical Free Church was filled to what I’m sure was fire code capacity as entertainers from near and far performed sets between the comedic and musical stylings of MCs Dwight Forseth and Jim McLennan. The music was first rate and the jokes were pretty darn good as well, putting the sold-out crowd in a festive mood.
As much as everyone was there to enjoy themselves, there was also a serious undertone to the evening: the Okotoks Food Bank is breaking usage records with every passing month as the cost of living crisis has dramatically increased demand for its services.
Thankfully, the community continues to step up to help the food bank cope with a steady influx of new clients. Executive director Pamela McLean said it has seen a significant increase in the number of third-party fundraisers this year, the annual community food drive co-ordinated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints set a record for the amount collected in September and four companies, including the aforementioned Wood Automotive Group, stepped up to become platinum sponsors of this year’s Christmas concerts.
In fact, this year’s concerts raised a whopping $120,000, money that couldn’t come at a better time for the food bank as McLean has often remarked this year that food is going out almost as soon as it’s coming in.
It’s difficult to know how 2024 will treat the food bank, and society in general for that matter, but it’s heartening that so many people in these parts are willing to do what they can to help those dealing with food insecurity.
It’s highly likely that the record numbers experienced this year will become the new normal for the food bank, at least for the foreseeable future, which means it will need to rely on those in the community —individuals, groups and businesses — to help it weather this storm.
It’s impressive to see how Okotoks has stepped up during this time of giving, but it’s imperative that generosity continues once the calendar flips to 2024.
